Editor’s Note: Revisiting an old favorite in a new format. This story originally was published in June 2016.
Author: Hays Post
Law enforcement in NW Kansas busy on I-70 Christmas night
SHERMAN COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities in northwest Kansas were busy on Christmas night.
Deputies were notified that an individual was eluding law enforcement east bound on Interstate 70 in Sherman County and traveling into Thomas County, according to a social media report.
The individual decided to return to Sherman County where he was taken into custody without incident.
Sheriff Burton Pianalto praised the work of all of those involved to take this individual into custody without incident and he had a little fun with the arrest, “just think, this individual almost missed out on saying he got to spend Christmas in Jail.”
The sheriff’s department did not release additional details on the incident.
State Attorney Wants Kan. Legislature To Act Early On School Finance Bill
By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN
CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN / KANSAS NEWS SERVICE
Kansas lawmakers are facing an even tighter deadline to pass a new school finance law this session, after an attorney for the state encouraged them to finish their work on the topic less than two months into the coming 2018 legislative session.
Asked by lawmakers last week what legal staff need to help make the state’s case, Arthur Chalmers urged them to aim for the start of March for handing off a new school finance bill rather than sometime closer to the date the Kansas Supreme Court set for filing the state’s arguments.
“April 30 is too late,” Chalmers told a House-Senate committee on school finance that is meeting outside the regular legislative session. “That’s when the brief is due.”
Once lawmakers pass the bill, he said, it still will need to reach the governor’s desk. Then the state’s legal team will need to collect committee meeting minutes and supplementary materials for the court and write a brief defending the Legislature’s response.
“The Legislature needs to make these difficult decisions and work something out, as a practical matter, by about March 1,” Chalmers said.
The Kansas Supreme Court found the state’s school finance formula unconstitutional in October and set an April 30 deadline for the Legislature and governor to address the court’s concerns and submit legal briefs defending their response.
CREDIT CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN / KANSAS NEWS SERVICE
Chalmers said in the last court round, state lawyers didn’t receive all the related minutes and materials from the Legislature until the day before the state’s brief was due.
Sen. Carolyn McGinn, chairwoman of the Senate’s budget committee, said she thinks Chalmers’ request to pass a bill by March 1 is “doable” but added: “We’re going to have to get down to some serious work.”
McGinn, a Sedgwick Republican, noted that a potential conversation about amending the Kansas Constitution could take up time in the Legislature.
“If that gets some legs, we’ll spend some time on that,” she said, “and we really need to work on addressing a response for the courts.”
Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, of Topeka, said it’s important to give the state’s lawyers the time they need to prepare their brief before they appear at the Kansas Supreme Court.
“If that’s what the state’s lawyer is telling us, then that’s a deadline we’ll have to meet,” Hensley said.
The special school finance committee — created to lay groundwork ahead of the 2018 session that starts in January — will meet again Tuesday to hear about the differences between the wording and obligations in the Kansas Constitution and those of other states.
The presentation by legislative staff comes as some lawmakers explore amending the state’s constitution, which currently requires the state to provide “suitable” funding for public schools.
Kansans added the provision in the 1960s by popular vote, and changing it would require a two-thirds majority in both chambers of the Legislature and a regular majority in a public referendum.
Proposals to amend the state constitution in relation to school finance — with the goal of restricting the authority of the judicial branch to weigh in on the matter — have cropped up in at least 15 Kansas legislative sessions since the early 1990s.
See a list of proposed school finance-related amendments since 1993
The topic was especially heated during the 2005 special session, when lawmakers came back to Topeka in June under a court order to add $143 million to schools by July 1 of that year. None of the multiple proposals introduced in 2005 made it out of the Legislature, though two of them passed the Senate.
Other proposals since the early 1990s also failed before reaching a referendum.
On Monday, Sen. Dennis Pyle, a Hiawatha Republican, announced he has filed a proposal to change the constitution in such a way that courts would not be allowed to cut off funding to schools — effectively closing them — as a way of enforcing rulings that the state’s school funding system is unconstitutional.
Celia Llopis-Jepsen is a reporter for the Kansas News Service, You can reach her on Twitter @Celia_LJ.
HAWVER: School funding mandate will force difficult decisions in 2018
OK, so what if the Legislature next session decides to boost spending for public K-12 schools, as it presumes the Kansas Supreme Court wants it to do by about April 1?
Well, if the Legislature—or especially the House where all of its members stand for re-election in 2018 or maybe some just decide not to run for another two-year excursion into state government—decides to just write the check without raising anyone’s taxes, it means about a 17 percent cut in spending for everything else government does.
Sounds simple. Cut 17 percent from everything, and give that 17 percent to schools, and the court will probably be satisfied, and all this litigation over what is adequate school funding is over…for a while.
The long division shows that if a rumored $600 million in additional funding for schools will settle the lawsuit, it’s about a 17 percent cut on all state general fund spending.
Well, of course, there’s no decision yet on just how much the state needs to spend on K-12, and how quickly, but at least a couple state agencies during hearings last week dutifully presented information about what a 17 percent budget cut would mean to their agencies. Posed, of course, in the most frightful manner designed to get lawmakers to think about not doing that sweep of cash.
That’s the key. Making that 17 percent cut in funding so shocking, so dangerous, so perilous, that lawmakers quit considering budget cuts.
So, what spooked members of the latest committee to hear about the need for K-12 money?
Start with the Department of Corrections. Now, there are probably lots of ways to cut spending, buck or two here, a buck or two there, but the Kansas Department of Corrections said to cut its budget 17 percent it would close three prisons.
Oh, and let about 2,500 felons loose. Just open the gates and watch them wander off to the nearest liquor store or maybe car that they could jump-start. Corrections didn’t say whether it would let loose check forgers, bank robbers or tax evaders, just 2,500 folks who probably need to be in prison, or at least in someone else’s neighborhood.
Wonder how the Kansas Judicial Department will respond to a 17 percent budget cut?
Well, one solution, apparently the ickiest one that the Judiciary could come up with, is closing the courthouses for 70 days a year. That might make getting warrants a little slow, or might mean that Kansans can only get divorces on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and thousands of other inconveniences.
Other state offices would either close, lay off staff, quit some programs that they provide, and well, nothing very good happens.
What’s the object of having state departments illustrate what would happen if suddenly $600 million was removed from virtually every program except K-12 funding?
Well, it immediately means that lawmakers will have to give some serious thought to boosting state aid to schools. From somewhere…
That overturns the basic, budget touch-up and pass a few bills that Kansans will like into a major fight between those who agree with the court that the state isn’t spending enough on schools and those who think the court might give the Legislature a year or two to come up with the money, and figuring out how to make that more gradual increase in funding guaranteed. Flat guaranteed, not one of those deals in which the last year of promised and written into law increases are backed out of in a year or two.
Or, we guess, lawmakers could establish a new committee to choose the 2,500 felons who get released, maybe based on where they would move to if they are set free…
Syndicated by Hawver News Company LLC of Topeka; Martin Hawver is publisher of Hawver’s Capitol Report—to learn more about this nonpartisan statewide political news service, visit the website at www.hawvernews.com.
Court upholds Kansas man’s sentence for texting teen for sex
RENO COUNTy— A Kansas man sentenced to over 19 years in prison for convictions of electronic solicitation and violation of the offender registration act has lost his appeal.
The Kansas Court of Appeals Friday affirmed the conviction for 59-year-old Steven Peterman of Hutchinson. Police arrested him on Feb. 12, 2014, when he was waiting to pick up an underage girl in the parking lot of the Hutchinson Mall.
He was convicted of texting via cell phone with a Reno County Sheriff Detective who posed as the 15-year-old. He went to the mall to pick her up with the intention of assisting her in running away from home, but also to teach her sex.
In his appeal, he claimed that the court erred in not allowing at trial his theory that he was entrapped by law enforcement. The state argues that there was no entrapment.
Peterman received the large sentence because of his prior criminal history.
He had served time earlier for two counts of attempted rape and electronic solicitation of a child from a case in 2001. In fact, during the trial in the 2014 case, Judge Trish Rose read details of those crimes to the jury as stipulated facts to show that he was required to register as a sex offender.
DSNWK receives grant from Hays Lions Club
Developmental Services of Northwest Kansas is proud to announce that they have received a $500 grant award from The Hays Lions Club for the vision needs of the people they serve who have developmental disabilities.
The grant will go to support DSNWK’s Consumer Medical Fund which assists individuals with the cost of medical items and care that are not covered by Medicaid such as eye glasses and other vision needs. DSNWK would like to thank the Hays Lions Club for their continuous support of people with developmental disabilities.
DSNWK is a 501(c)3 nonprofit serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in 18 northwest Kansas counties since 1967.
Ellis County students among those in record-breaking K-State scholarship season
K-State News and Communications Services
MANHATTAN — Students at Kansas State University have earned nearly 13,700 academic scholarships for the 2017-2018 academic year. Most of the scholarships are made possible through donations and gifts to the Kansas State University Foundation.
Overall, Kansas State University students have earned more than $34.4 million in scholarships for the current academic year. More than 11,000 scholarships totaling $24.1 million, were awarded to in-state students; more than 2,200 scholarships totaling $9.5 million were awarded to out-of-state students; and more than 360 scholarships totaling more than $690,000 were awarded to international students.
Information on the university’s student financial assistance is available at https://www.k-state.edu/sfa.
View the list of 2017-2018 scholarship recipients HERE.
Ellis County students are listed below:
Ellis: Erianna Basgall, Arts and Sciences Fund for Excellence; Dylan Haas, Foundation for Engineering at Kansas State University Fund, Leadership Scholarship, Perry C. and Virginia H. Peine Construction Science Scholarship
Gorham: Joseph Dortland, Achievement Award, Business Administration Dean’s Scholarship
Hays: Annaka Applequist, Foundation Scholarship; Jordan Brungardt, Christine Shepard Memorial Scholarship; Mitchell Campbell, K-State Alumni Association Scholarship; Kelsie Dewitt, Medallion Scholarship, Palmquist Architecture and Design Scholarship; Elizabeth Eikenberry, Foundation Plus Scholarship, K-State Alumni Association Legacy Scholarship, Norman D. and Trella A. Currie Scholarship, Vanier Family Business Administration Scholarship; Kacie Engel, Arts and Sciences Fund for Excellence, First Gen Financial Skills Award, Shirley L. Olson Memorial Scholarship; Mikaela Flax, Achievement Award, Division of Biology Scholarship; Katelyn Fross, K-State Alumni Association Scholarship, Lawrence Erbes Agronomy Scholarship, Medallion Scholarship; Zoey Gubitoso, KCoe Isom LLP Scholarships in Accounting; Jacob Hecker, Vanier Family Scholarship at K-State Polytechnic; Courtney Hess, Holly C. and E. Beth Fryer Human Nutrition Scholarship, Wilma A. Brown Scholarship; Cora Jaeger, Earle R. Davis Memorial Scholarship; Madisyn Keller, Achievement Award, K-State Alumni Association Scholarship; Talyn Kleweno, K-State Alumni Association Scholarship; Brent Koenigsman, Vanier Family Scholarship at K-State Polytechnic; Megan Koenigsman, Foundation Plus Scholarship, K-State Alumni Association Scholarship; Madyson Koerner, Achievement Award, K-State Alumni Association Scholarship; Breanne Kruse, Jon Wefald Scholarship; Daniel Lopez, K-State Alumni Association Scholarship, Putnam Scholarship; Chase Lynd, K-State Transfer Academic Award; Sage Markley, K-State Alumni Association Scholarship; Justin McCullick, K-State Alumni Association Scholarship; Kohlton Meyers, First in Class Scholarship, K-State Alumni Association Scholarship, Medallion Scholarship; Matthew Mindrup, Foundation Plus Scholarship, General Academic Scholarship Fund, June D. Hull Sherrid Biology Scholarship and Education Fund, K-State Student Union UGB, UPC and UCB Presidents’ Scholarship; Laura Montgomery, Agriculture Enhancement, K-State Alumni Association Scholarship, Leadership Scholarship; Adam O’Connor, Gayle Foster Alumni Club Scholarship; Daniel O’Connor, Finance Advisory Board; Breanna Park, Achievement Award, Gayle Foster Alumni Club Scholarship; Caleb Pfeifer, Foundation Plus Scholarship; Tanner Pfeifer, Fairchild Scholarship, Vanier Family Business Administration Merit Scholarship; Logan Renz, Schwan Scholarship; Marie Reveles, Agriculture Enhancement, Donald D. Volker Memorial Scholarship Fund, Foundation Scholarship; Ryan Schippers, Phi Theta Kappa Leadership Scholarship, Transfer Achievement Award; Michael Schulte, Daric M. Miller Memorial Scholarship, G.E. Johnson Engineering Scholarship; Max Stieben, Leadership Scholarship; April Terry, Arts and Sciences Student Research Travel Scholarship; Michelle Thacker, KBOR CTE Project Scholarship; Sydney Vahling, Arts and Sciences Fund for Excellence, June D. Hull Sherrid Biology Scholarship and Education Fund, Marie and Raymond C. Long Scholarship; Kelli Veach, Leadership Scholarship, Rosamond P. Haeberle Music Education Scholarship
Victoria: Brady Dinkel, Achievement Award; Benjamin Rajewski, Arts and Sciences Fund for Excellence, K-State Marching Band Scholarship, Marching Pride Scholars, Rosamond P. Haeberle Music Education Scholarship
Recycle your Christmas tree starting Thursday
CITY OF HAYS
Hays residents are encouraged to bring their live Christmas trees to the free disposal site located north of the Public Works building at 1002 Vine Street. This area is right next to the bathrooms at Speier ball fields. Place the trees inside the orange snow fence area.
Signs will be posted to direct citizens. Please remove all plastic, ornaments, and lights before leaving the tree. The disposal site will be open Thursday, December 28, 2017 through Monday, January 15, 2018.
Midwest Energy will provide personnel and a wood chipper to chip the trees to make mulch. The mulch will be placed at the Parks Department on the Highway 183 Bypass and is available for pickup free of charge.
If there are questions, please call the Solid Waste Division at 785-628-7350.
Cousins throws for 3 TDs, Redskins beat Broncos 27-11
LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — As his mind wandered to whether it was his final home game as the Washington’s starting quarterback, Kirk Cousins had a bigger concern early against the Denver Broncos and their top-ranked defense.
“After the first couple of possessions, I didn’t know if we were going to get 100 yards on them,” Cousins said.
Cousins and the Redskins rebounded from losing 2 yards on their first two drives to put up 386 yards and three touchdowns against the Broncos in a 27-11 rout Sunday. Cousins was 19 of 37 with TD passes to Jamison Crowder , Josh Doctson and Vernon Davis and an interception, and managed the game well.
“It just came down to protecting, making the throws, making the catches and converting,” said Cousins, the first quarterback in Washington history with three seasons of 25 or more TD passes and needs 65 yards for his third in a row with 4,000-plus yards. “It was an imperfect game, certainly, but when you have a defense playing at such a high level, it kept us in the game and kept giving us a chance, and then we finally got rolling and made enough plays to pull away.”
Washington’s 386 offensive yards are third most by a Denver opponent this season, behind only Philadelphia and New England. The Broncos came in giving up an average of 276.8 yards a game.
The Redskins (7-8) came 78 seconds from not allowing a touchdown for a second consecutive game for the first time since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. Washington, which allowed a combined 68 points in its previous two games, forced three turnovers.
“That’s the name of the game,” said linebacker Zach Vigil, who recovered a fumble. “The more turnovers a defense can get and get the ball back to the offense, just gives you a great opportunity to win the game.”
After a week of uncertainty, Brock Osweiler started at QB over Paxton Lynch for the Broncos (5-10) and was 22 of 38 for 193 yards with a fumble and an interception .
“I’ve been a backup in this league, I’ve been a starter in this league,” Osweiler said. “I know how to prepare with no reps and I know how to prepare with all the reps. So was it ideal? No. But is it an excuse? Absolutely not.”
C.J. Anderson scored a late touchdown and was the game’s leading rusher with 16 yards on 88 carries.
KERRIGAN’S MILESTONE
Linebacker Ryan Kerrigan sacked Osweiler twice and has 11 this season, becoming the first Redskins player with 10 or more in consecutive seasons since Dexter Manley and Charles Mann in 1985 and 1986. His 69 1-2 sacks are tied for fourth since entering the NFL in 2011, behind only Von Miller, J.J. Watt and Cameron Wake.
WHAT’S HE THINKING?
Rookie receiver Isaiah McKenzie made a memorable blunder late in the first half that likely cost Denver three points. With the Broncos out of timeouts, McKenzie caught the ball near the sideline inside the Washington 30-yard line and kicker Brandon McManus’ field goal range. But he didn’t go out of bounds, and Osweiler and other offensive teammates were visibly upset not to get another snap.
Coach Vance Joseph called McKenzie over after the play and gave him an earful while putting his arm around the 22-year-old.
“I should’ve got out of bounds,” McKenzie said. “I just caught the ball and mentally was like, ‘Make a play.’ And unfortunately I didn’t make the right decision.”
INJURIES
Broncos: WRs Emmanuel Sanders (ankle) and Cody Latimer (thigh) were inactive.
Redskins: NT Ziggy Hood left with a dislocated right elbow early in the second quarter. Coach Jay Gruden said Hood would have an MRI. … Rookie WR Robert Davis was knocked out with a concussion. CB Kendall Fuller was pulled from the game for a potential concussion late in the second quarter, but was cleared. … LB Zach Brown missed his second consecutive game with various injuries, including Achilles tendon and toe.
UP NEXT
Broncos: Host Kansas City next Sunday.
Redskins: Finish at the New York Giants next Sunday.
Chiefs beat Miami 29-13 to win back-to-back AFC West titles
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Andy Reid addressed the Kansas City Chiefs in a jubilant locker room dressed from head-to-toe in a Santa Claus suit, which not only fit him perfectly but was also perfectly fitting.
The Chiefs had just given their fans quite a present.
Alex Smith threw for 304 yards and a touchdown in another steady performance, Kareem Hunt ran for 91 yards and a score, and the Chiefs beat the Miami Dolphins 29-13 on Sunday to clinch back-to-back AFC West titles for the first time in franchise history.
“Just phenomenal,” Reid said, likely smiling beneath his fluffy white beard. “But we’re not going to sit on this. We’re not done yet. We’re going to enjoy the holiday and get right back at it.”
Tyreek Hill had six catches for 109 yards, and Harrison Butker converted five field goals, as the Chiefs (9-6) dashed what faint postseason hope the Dolphins (6-9) still harbored.
“It’s hard to win football games only kicking field goals,” Dolphins quarterback Jay Cutler said. “A couple fumbles, couple of missed opportunities here, a penalty when we’re driving — it’s those types of things that’ll hurt you.”
Cutler threw for 286 yards and a touchdown, but a big chunk of that came on a 65-yard toss to Jakeem Grant late in the first half. Otherwise, Miami went 0 for 8 on third down and struggled against a Chiefs defense that has been stingy and opportunistic the past two weeks.
That’s coincided with the return of Marcus Peters from his disciplinary suspension.
The Chiefs’ star cornerback had two interceptions and forced a fumble against the Chargers last week, a win that pushed them to the brink of the playoffs. He recovered a fumble and forced another on Sunday, giving Peters a hand in five turnovers the past two weeks.
“He’s always around the ball,” said Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson, who forced the first fumble. “Marcus is always playing with fire, this whole year.”
Both turnovers led to points, but they weren’t the Dolphins’ only costly miscues.
They also were nailed for defensive holding four times, all of which came on three scoring drives for Kansas City. And the Dolphins inability to get off the field on third down, after holding opponents to 8 for 39 the past two games, was similarly deflating.
“Got in a couple situations that we couldn’t use some of the things that we had planned,” Miami coach Adam Gase said. “We just need to find a way to be consistent and get them off the field.”
Still, the Dolphins had the ball trailing 17-13 late in the first half, the outcome and their longshot playoff hopes were still in the balance. But they soon went three-and-out and the Chiefs added a field goal to make it 20-13 at the break, then another to start the second half.
Even when the Dolphins made a crucial stop on fourth down to get the ball back later in the third quarter, they squandered the opportunity. Peters stripped Kenny Stills to give the Chiefs the ball, and Butker hit his fourth chip-shot field goal for a 26-13 lead with 12:19 to go.
That gave a sparse crowd that turned out on Christmas Eve, braving slick roads from an overnight snowfall and frigid wind chills at kickoff, plenty of time to celebrate a division title.
Turn their thoughts toward a home playoff game in the new year, too.
“It’s a great feeling,” Hunt said. “We’ve got these fans that are going to go crazy for the playoff game, and we get to play in Arrowhead Stadium one more time.”
FROZEN FIELD
There was no tarp on the field overnight, so a crew of workers used shovels to remove about an inch of snow by hand. The footing turned out to be fine, but Smith thought the cold weather gave Kansas City an advantage. “We have a lot of experience playing in cold weather,” he said. “All the little things, the snaps, they’re that much harder, and I think all the reps do help.”
STATS AND STREAKS
Chiefs TE Travis Kelce had four catches for 47 yards and a score , and has a catch in 63 straight games. … Chiefs coach Andy Reid improved to 5-1 against Miami. … Dolphins WR Jarvis Landry had five catches for 51 yards, giving him a league-best 103 catches this season. … The Dolphins had won seven of their last 10 against Kansas City. Their last loss at Arrowhead Stadium was in 2002.
INJURY NOTES
Dolphins DT Vincent Taylor hurt his knee on the opening kickoff, while CB Alterraun Verner went down with a hamstring injury later in the half. Miami DE Andre Branch played despite a knee injury.
UP NEXT
Dolphins conclude their season against the Bills next Sunday.
Chiefs head to Denver on Sunday to finish their regular season.
Cold, windy Tuesday
Today A 20 percent chance of snow before noon. Mostly cloudy and cold, with a high near 13. Wind chill values as low as -12. Northeast wind 8 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.
Tonight Mostly cloudy, with a low around 2. Wind chill values as low as -9. East northeast wind 5 to 7 mph.
Wednesday Partly sunny, with a high near 23. Wind chill values as low as -9. South southeast wind 6 to 14 mph.
Wednesday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 14. South wind 8 to 10 mph.
Thursday Mostly sunny, with a high near 34.
Thursday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 15.
Friday Mostly sunny, with a high near 34.
Police: Suspect used a shotgun in Christmas Eve robbery
SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating an armed robbery and asking for help to identify a suspect.
Just before 6p.m. on Christmas Eve, police responded to an armed robbery at the Nu Way in the 3400 block of east Harry in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.
A 45-year-old man upon leaving work he was approached by an unknown suspect carrying a shotgun.
The suspect pointed the shotgun at the victim and demanded money. Money was taken by the suspect and the suspect fled the scene on foot.
There were no injuries, according to Davidson. The suspect is described as an unknown black male, 5-foot-10, 180lbs, wearing an orange hoodie.
If anyone has any additional information on this case please call Crime Stoppers at 316.267.2111.
NW Kansas man hospitalized after pickup rolls
GOVE COUNTY — A Kansas man was injured in an accident just after 10a.m. Monday in Gove County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Chevy pickup driven by James Allen Gormley, 53, Grainfield, was east bound on old Highway 40 four miles east of Oakley.
The driver lost control of the pickup and it entered the north ditch. The driver overcorrected and the pickup rolled into the south ditch.
Gormley was transported to the Logan County Hospital. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.